FR2658217A1 - PREFABRICATED CONCRETE MONOBLOCK ELEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF RETAINING WALLS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to monobloc elements in prefabricated concrete for the construction of retaining walls. These elements are of parallelepipedal shape with six faces, comprising on the outside guide grooves which can cooperate between two adjacent elements: the upper face (17) comprises parallel to the front face (14), at least two and preferably three female grooves (6 ) hollow pseudo-trapezoidal open shape located at the same distance (d) from each other for the same element and between two elements arranged one behind the other, by interlocking said guide grooves (9) of the rear face (15) of one in those (8) of the front face (14) of the next, and the lower face (18) comprises parallel to the front face (14) and in the same vertical plane as the two end grooves of the upper face (17) two male grooves (7) which can fit into any two of the female ones of one or two elements placed below.

Description

i One-piece precast concrete element for the construction of concrete walls

support

DESCRIPTION

  The present invention relates to concrete elements

  prefabricated for the construction of retaining walls.

  The technical sector of the invention is manufacturing

  precast concrete elements for public works.

  One of the main applications of the invention is the construction of retaining walls of inclined or vertical slopes, having a straight or curved alignment and associated with sound absorption properties, and in which we want to keep the possibility

to grow plants.

  We know of various systems which allow retaining walls to be produced, either by the box-wall technique made up of fairly heavy elements, or by the technique of modular elements built into each other, but rare are the systems which

  meet all the previous application constraints.

  In the first category, various patents have been filed and we will refer for example to that NO FR 78/09 686 filed by the COMPANY ALBERT PELLER et Cie) which describes sound insulation walls, composed of transverse beams and beams longitudinal intersecting with the previous ones which form two continuous chaining and the longitudinal beams located at the front of the wall have a trough-shaped section The transverse and longitudinal beams frame rectangular wells filled with topsoil. Furthermore, patent FR 78/16804 from the SABLA company describes box walls which include transverse walls composed of beams placed one above the other; façade plates inclined towards the outside when rising, which are placed in notches of the transverse beams and of the transverse bars or beams which connect the rear ends of the beams. All the walls described in these previous documents are composed of relatively heavy prefabricated elements, which require the use of handling equipment for their installation. In addition, the shapes of these prefabricated elements are often complex and

  require expensive prefabrication molds.

  In the second category, in which the present invention is situated, there are dozens of patent applications, which in fact respond to some of the criticisms that can be made of the first category, by proposing lighter elements which can

  then be handled and set up by hand.

  In addition, the small relative dimensions of these elements may allow, depending on their configuration, to follow curved slope profiles while the elements of the first category, more

  long, do not fit all the desired curves.

  We will also refer by way of example to patent application NO FR 2374478 filed by Mr. Jean FAMY on 12/16/76 on "slope support elements" each consisting of a parallelepipedic block having female triangular grooves on all its faces and which thanks to male keys of square section interposed between the blocks and slid in the grooves facing each other join the elements together; by the play of several parallel and perpendicular grooves, it is thus possible to follow an inclined slope, to make angles, but not to follow

  curves or to revegetate said embankment.

  German patent application NO DE 3118487 filed on 05/09/81 by Mr. REINHARD Juraschek describes cylindrical elements with vertical axis whose section in the form of puzzle pieces with two male grooves on two opposite vertical faces and two compatible female grooves with the first on two other opposite vertical faces, which elements can be connected by elongated parts making a ball joint between two female grooves of two basic elements and thus making it possible to follow a curve It is not however possible to follow a slope steep inclined,

nor to vegetate it.

  Patent application FR 2570411 filed on 09/19/84 by Mr. Pierre CHAMBREUIL relates to "monoblock elements for the consolidation of double walls"; these elements have a flat face and the opposite face made up of male and female grooves which can cooperate and self-lock with those of other elements which are assembled together in staggered rows in the two directions of the plane formed by the wall that one wants build: this is then self-locking without mortar or cement, but cannot be tilted or curved and is therefore not

not suitable for a slope.

  We also know the European patent application NO 0215994 filed on 09/26/85 by the Swiss Rolf SCHELWILLER on elements in the form of a box with a hollow square section in their center and having female dovetail grooves in the middle of their four vertical faces: they are then assembled to each other by connecting plane elements having male ends which can be housed in the grooves of said box elements: this system allows tracking of inclined slopes thanks to other intermediate parts and parallel and perpendicular grooves on the undersides and

  higher, but does not follow curves.

  We could also cite many other patents such as that of the same Swiss as above filed on 03/20/87 in Europe NO 0282679 and complementary to the previous one with additional elements allowing precisely the monitoring of curves, or that of Mr. RUCKSTUHL Willi filed in Germany on 12/01/87 under NO DE 3740646 describing a set of six to eight elements cooperating with each other thanks to dovetail grooves to produce various wall profiles of

inclined or vertical slopes.

  All of these rapidly exposed systems are either fairly simple to make, to assemble and have few elements, but then they are only suitable for one type of use, or quite complex both in making and to assemble and include many elements

  different to fit different configurations.

  In addition, most of them cannot be produced by automatic machines for prefabrication of concrete elements: in fact, these machines must be able to demold the elements produced by sliding the walls or accessories of molds in only two directions; few machines, and they are then very complex and increase the cost price of the element, can do so

  grooves in perpendicular directions on more than one side.

  The problem is therefore to be able to produce prefabricated concrete monoblock elements for the constitution of retaining walls, the shape and the imprints of the faces allow a manufacture with conventional and standard automatic machines, and whose said unique external shape allows to realize vertical or inclined walls, thickening of these walls by adding these elements assembled together one behind the other while maintaining the straight curve or alignment; the dimensions of these elements being compatible with manual handling and the interior shape which can be adapted to allow the plant to be revegetated

  inclined retaining wall and absorb radiating noise.

  A solution to the problem posed is a monobloc element in precast concrete for the construction of retaining walls of parallelepiped shape with six faces, having externally guide grooves which can cooperate between two adjacent elements: the upper face comprises at least parallel to the front face two and preferably three female hollow grooves of pseudo-trapezoidal open shape located at the same distance from each other for the same element and between two elements arranged one behind the other, by fitting said guide grooves on the rear face of one in those of the front face of the following, and the lower face comprises parallel to the front face and in the same vertical plane as the two extreme grooves of the upper face two male grooves which can be embedded in any two of those

  females of one or two elements placed below.

  The objective of the present invention is achieved with a monobloc element as above comprising a single groove on each of its lateral faces, on one side in the form of a female dovetail and on the other in the form of a tail. male dovetail, which forms tolerate an angular rotation between an element relative to that

adjacent to it.

  In a preferred embodiment, said one-piece element comprises two guide grooves on the rear face in the form of a male dovetail and two on the front face in the form of a tail.

female dovetail.

  Another object of the present invention is also achieved with the monoblock elements as above, further comprising a central cavity open on its upper and lower faces and with other elements for which said cavity is closed from the upper face and open. on the lower face as well as on the front face by at least one chute communicating with a groove of

female guide of this face.

  The result is new prefabricated concrete monoblock elements for the construction of retaining walls which respond to the entire problem posed and allow any form of wall to be produced. Indeed, existing systems including those mentioned above do not

  not allow as their description shows to realize any

  form of assembly except by adding intermediate parts while the elements according to the present invention are all of the same main external dimensions; and even when the current systems allow various possibilities of shape, they cannot be manufactured automatically by standard machines, whereas the elements according to the present invention, by their parallel grooves on each pair of opposite face, and of semi profile

  open, allow such manufacture.

  Thus these elements by assembling one above the other, one next to the other and one behind the other can constitute any kind of retaining walls: straight or inclined and at a variable angle, frontal, concave or convex curvature, rear reinforcement; in the case of inclined walls certain elements can then be re-vegetated and in all cases certain elements

may be noise absorbing.

  In addition, these elements can be small, around 20 kilos, to be handled manually they do not require any parts or intermediate elements for the

  fitting and fixing them; their implementation is therefore simple and rapid.

  We could cite other advantages of the present invention but those mentioned above already show enough to

  demonstrate novelty and interest Description, drawings and

  the figures below represent an exemplary embodiment of the invention, but have no limiting character other

  achievements are possible from the claims which specify

  the scope and breadth of this invention, especially by changing

  the shape of the guide grooves between elements.

  Figure 1 is a perspective view of two one-piece elements

ready to be stacked.

  Figure 2 is a view in four planes of a standard element.

  Figure 3 is a view in four planes of an acoustic element. Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a retaining wall. Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of a retaining wall. Figure 1 is a perspective view of two monoblock elements, one of which can be qualified as standard 1 and the other as acoustics 2 and ready to be stacked one on the other along their common vertical axis xx 'to constitute a column The standard element 1 is described in Figure 2 in detail, the acoustic element 2 in the

figure 3.

  These elements are of the rectangular parallelepiped type with six parallel faces two by two having externally in a known manner guide grooves capable of cooperating between two adjacent elements; the arrangement and the function of these grooves are however in the present invention specific to it and not taught by any existing device: the grooves 8 of the front face 14 and those of the rear face 15 can be of any shape capable of cooperating between them to immobilize, even in traction, and align the elements one behind the other: this can for example be tenons or dovetails of known profile; there may be one or more per side For aesthetic reasons, the female grooves 8 will preferably be placed on the front face, the grooves 10 and 11 of the lateral faces 16 may be of the same type as those of the front and rear faces, and ensure the same function of immobilization and alignment of the elements, but side by side: however, if in the direction of depth the elements are generally in a plane perpendicular to the front face, in the direction of width the elements may have to follow a concave or convex curvature; for this, each lateral face then has only one groove, on a male side and on the other female side, and tolerate between them sufficient play so that one element can pivot relative to the other as described in FIG. 5, the grooves 6 and 7 of the upper 17 and lower 18 faces respectively are of different shape and nature from the previous ones, in fact, the elements can be immobilized on one another by the sole effect of the gravity of their weight, it is therefore not necessary to have holding grooves as in the horizontal plane; preferably to simplify on the one hand the manufacture during demolding and on the other hand their centering during their stacking, they are of pseudo-trapezoidal type of hollow section for those 6 of the upper faces 17 with the largest base facing towards outside, and in bump for those 7 of the underside 18 with

  the small base facing outwards and possibly rounded.

  On the other hand, as the elements must be able to follow an inclined slope slope, the female grooves 6 are at least two and preferably three and the male grooves can only be two and can be embedded in two grooves females riding on

  two elements placed below as described in figure 4.

  The block elements are preferably of rectangular, rectangular shape the length of which is in the direction of

  the depth of the wall they constitute.

  Figure 2 is a view of the four planes of a standard element 1 as shown in perspective in Figure 1: view 2 D is a front view of the element that is to say of the front face 14 of that -ci The grooves 8 form vertical lines and in order to interrupt them for aesthetic purposes especially if the blocks are not completely aligned vertically, they can be cut horizontally at at least one of their ends by a notch 13 of breaking these vertical lines Here we only figured the upper end, but it can be cut too, or at the

place, at the bottom.

  view 2 B is a sectional view in the plane CC of view 2 D we then distinguish with precision the arrangement of the grooves 6 of the upper face located at the same distance from each other or the same element shown, but also between the latter and another placed in front of and / or behind by fitting their guide groove 8 and 9; these grooves are here four in number but there could be only three or on the contrary more on the underside two male grooves 7 are sufficient and are placed in the vertical plane of the two extreme grooves 6 of the upper face Furthermore and preferably , on the one hand to lighten the element and on the other hand to give the functions of revegetation or acoustics as shown in FIG. 4, this standard element known as basic comprises a central cavity 4 open on its lower and upper faces

  this cavity can be of rectangular section.

  The views of 2 A and 2 C are those from below and from above, that is to say from the faces 18 and 17. There are precisely the grooves 8 and 9 of the front and rear faces and those 10 and 11 of the side faces. outer surfaces 20 and 21 of these lateral grooves 10 and 11 actually act as a ball joint to allow the rotation of an element with respect to the following: their shape must therefore be of spherical or conical type enveloping a sphere and / or allow a sufficient clearance while those of grooves 8 and 9

can be of any other form.

  We also note in these views the central cavity 4 passing right through the element and all the other traces parallel to the front and rear faces being those representing the

  grooves 6 and 7 of the lower and upper faces.

  FIG. 3 is a view of the four planes of a so-called acoustic element 2: view 3 D is the front view of this element which is identical to that of standard element 1 but which additionally comprises two chutes 12 located in the grooves 8 and communicating with the central cavity These troughs also open out at the bottom and stop halfway up the element.

have only one chute 12.

  view 3 B is a sectional view DD of view 3 D, where we find the same grooves 6, 7 13, 8 and 9 as in the standard element according to FIG. 2 B Against the central cavity 5 is closed on the side of the upper face 17 It is completely open towards the lower face 18 and partially towards the front face 14 by

the chutes 12.

  the views 3 A and 3 C are those from below and from above of this acoustic element, with its lateral guide grooves 10 and 11, front 8 and rear 9 as for the standard element 1 The acoustic cavities 5 are distinguished at its center : indeed, these are represented here in two volumes, but there could be only one or more In fact, the dimensions of these volumes 5, chutes 12 and the number of standard elements 1 stacked below for making a vertical cavity depends on the frequencies of sounds that one wishes to absorb. The acoustic element 2 can be used alone, depending on the case. Preferably, given their use in retaining embankment walls, therefore essentially at the roadside, said cavity 5 , and the chute 12 possibly or not associated with the cavities 4 of the monoblock elements 1 placed below constitute a so-called Helmholtz cell for absorbing sounds, of frequency

between 50 and 500 Hz.

  In a particular preferred embodiment, the so-called Helmholtz cell is obtained by threading into said cavity 4, 5

  sheaths of suitable synthetic materials.

  Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view BB along the figure of a retaining wall of an embankment 23, and consisting of elements

  monoblocks 1 and 2 as described above.

  Elements 1 and 2 in fact play the same role to constitute the front face of the wall by stacking one above the other, either vertically like those of the second and third rows from the bottom, or with a fruit towards the rear, equal to the interval d between two grooves 6 like those of the fourth and fifth rows, at two intervals d between two grooves 6 like those of the third and fourth rows, at three intervals d between two grooves 6 like those of the first and second rows; and it could be achieved

  thus more or less significant slopes.

  In rows where the offset is significant, such as the first and fifth for example, can then be planted with plants. In certain rows the elements can be stacked to form acoustic absorption cells as with the second

and third rows.

  The front elements 1 and 2 in a particular embodiment may comprise only a surface offering only an aesthetic form and then be used only to carry out the

  visible wall of said retaining wall.

  It can then be added behind these front elements as many elements 22 as one wishes to reinforce said wall, either in a pyramid as shown in the figure, or at an angle if the lower supports are not necessary, or with deep rows only every three, four or more vertical rows. Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view AA according to Figure 4 of a retaining wall of an embankment 23, and consisting of one-piece elements 1 for the front face of this wall and elements 22

  to reinforce said back wall.

  The lateral faces of these elements 22 are flat and the element is then used only to make thickenings of

  reinforcement of the front wall of said wall.

  Indeed, given the embedding of the front wall, one should not have too much constraint in the degrees of freedom of the rear elements and their only connection in the direction of the depth and in vertical stacking is sufficient to ensure the stability of

the book.

  Furthermore, when the wall is curved, concave in shape as in the figure, but it could be convex, the elements 22 must then approach or move away: when they come closer if their corner touch, we delete one on two to continue to extend the reinforcement if necessary Depending on the profiles of the grooves and the dimensions of the elements, the maximum angle of curvature can be

  variable for example up to four degrees.

  The hollow elements l and 22 can also be filled themselves

  even of materials in order to constitute a weight wall.

: 113

Claims (7)

  1 One-piece precast concrete element for the construction of retaining walls, of parallelepipedal shape with six faces, externally having guide grooves capable of cooperating between two adjacent elements, characterized in that the upper face (17) comprises parallel to the front face (14) at least two and preferably three female grooves (6) in the hollow of an open pseudo-trapezoidal shape located at the same distance (d) from one another for the same element and between two elements arranged one behind the other , by fitting said guide grooves (9) of the rear face (15) of one into those (8) of the front face (14) of the following, and the lower face (18) comprises parallel to the front face ( 14) and in the same vertical plane as the two extreme grooves of the upper face (17) two grooves (7) which can fit into any two of the female ones of one or two elements placed below.   2 One-piece precast concrete element according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises two guide grooves (9) on the rear face (15) in the form of a male dovetail   and two (8) on the front face (14) in the form of a female dovetail.   3 One-piece precast concrete element according to one   any one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that it comprises   a single groove (10, 11) on each of its lateral faces (16), on one side of form (10) in female dovetail and on the other of form (11) in male dovetail, which forms tolerate between them an angular rotation of an element compared to that which is adjacent.   4 One-piece precast concrete element according to one   any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises   a central cavity (4) open on its upper and lower faces. One-piece precast concrete element according to one   any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that it comprises   at least one central cavity (5) closed on the side of the upper face (17) and open on the lower face (18) as well as on the front face by at least one chute (12) communicating with a groove female guide of this face.   6 monobloc element precast concrete according to claim 5 characterized in that said cavity (5) and the chute (12) possibly associated with the cavities (4) of monoblock elements (1) placed below constitute a cell called Helmholtz can absorb sounds with frequencies between 50 and 500 Hz. 7 one-piece precast concrete element according to claim (6) characterized in that the so-called Helmholtz cell is obtained by threading sheaths into said cavity (4, 5) suitable synthetic materials.   8 One-piece precast concrete element according to one   any one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that the grooves   for guiding its front face (14) are cut horizontally at at least one of their ends by a notch (13) for breaking a vertical line. 9 One-piece precast concrete element according to one   any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that its face   front (14) has only one surface offering only an aesthetic form and that it is then used only to achieve the   visible wall of said retaining wall.   10 One-piece precast concrete element according to one   any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that its faces   side are flat and it is then used only to make thickenings to reinforce the front wall said wall.